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In centuries past, a belief grew that the happiness of the new bride could be passed on to wedding guests – if they could secure a fragment of her bridal dress. Over time this became a free-for-all attempt to tear pieces away from the dress but gradually a gentler version evolved: passing on the bridal happiness by throwing the wedding bouquet over the guests.

The woman who caught it would share the bride’s good fortune and would herself soon marry.

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In some countries a black cat crossing your path is considered very good luck

CATS

In some countries including Britain a black cat crossing your path is considered very good luck, but quite the reverse applies in other countries such as the US, where the same cat crossing your path implies the worst possible luck. The jury is out on which of the superstitions in valid – or perhaps neither.

The wise words of Groucho Marx could put that belief in perspective: A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.

DICE

Superstitions have naturally arisen around the throwing of dice. How do you persuade them to roll to your advantage? Blow on them, is one suggestion.

Why? It’s a superstition linked to the suspicion that unscrupulous gamers might coat one side of the dice with a kind of glue activated by being blown on, making it stick to the surface so that the upper number will be predictable.

EARRINGS

Nobody knows why, but superstition dictates that by piercing the ears to hold earrings a person’s eyesight will improve.

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If a young woman puts the four-leafed clover inside her shoe se will wed the first man she meets

FOUR-LEAFED CLOVER

Find a four-leafed clover and you’ll be able to see fairies and recognise evil spirits, which will give you the ability to tell who is secretly a witch.

Carry it with you and evil spells will bounce right off you, and in your house the milk won’t turn sour.

If a young woman puts the leaf inside her shoe, the first man she meets after stepping out will be her future husband, or else someone with the same name.

GOLD

Infection in and around the eye can be cured by stroking the affected area with gold, preferably a wedding ring.

HERRINGS (SALTED)

When suffering from a sore throat, an old superstition decrees it can be relieved by placing a salted herring on the feet of the afflicted.

21 weird and wacky superstitions

Fri, May 13, 2016

As Friday 13th approaches we look at strange and wonderful superstitions from around the world.

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If a couple is walking down the street holding hands and a lamp post gets in their way they shouldn’t separate and walk round it, one on each side, as even if they rejoin hands later, the brief separation is a signal that the relationship is about to break up.

If they say “bread and butter” immediately after rejoining hands however this will cancel out any negative vibes.

MAGPIE

The magpie is not the most popular bird in the air and is often considered unlucky. One way to dispel the bad luck is to bow to the bird and wish it “Good day”. Alternatively, spit over your left shoulder and cry out “Devil, I defy thee.”

In some Eastern countries the magpie is seen quite differently – as good luck and not to be harassed. But among English speakers its dubious reputation remains.

Perhaps the reason why can be found in the story that when all the animals entered Noah’s ark, the magpies refused to go inside and sat on the roof chattering about how unwelcome they found the whole project.

NEEDLE

If a friend ever asks if they can borrow a needle you should prick yourself with it before handing it over, in order to protect the longevity of the friendship.

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One way to dispel the bad luck brought is to bow to the magpie and wish it 'Good day'

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Couples holding hands shouldn't separate if a lamp post gets in their way

ONIONS

Witches don’t like onions, so keeping one of two in the house is a good protection – but it should be left whole, not peeled or cut.

There is an ancient belief that a peeled onion will “absorb” germs, thus shortening the span of an illness by taking all the danger into itself and preventing others in the household from becoming unwell. But modern medicine says there is no evidence to support this and that the “cut onion” theory should be disregarded.

PLAYING CARDS

There are so many superstitions about playing cards but the most common ones include: To be lucky at cards means you’ll be unlucky in love; ace of hearts signifies wealth; losing your temper during a game is bad luck; so is singing! If a used matchstick is thrown on the ashtray, place another one crossways over it – and win.

When good luck seems to have deserted a player, he can reverse this by standing, taking up his chair and walking with it in a circle three times. This could well attract some odd looks though.

RHEUMATISM

According to superstition, the pain of rheumatism can be alleviated by one of the following cures: Put a new potato in your pocket and keep it with you until it turns black and rock hard; carry a rabbit’s foot with you; get a bee to sting you on the affected joint, and in doing so they will take the pain away with them.

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For centuries umbrellas were used solely for protection from the sun

THIRTEEN

Unlucky 13 was known to be a suspect in ancient Roman times. But not only in Rome.

Ancient Norse mythology tells the story of Baldur, god of beauty, life and truth, who invited 11 guests for an evening of celebration when the mischievous god Loki walked in uninvited, taking the number in the room to 13.

Loki had been told that Baldur was impervious to any weapon made from natural vegetation – except mistletoe. He persuaded Hod, the old god of darkness, who was blind to shoot an arrow into the air to test Baldur’s famed resistance to any kind of wood. But Loki tipped the arrow with mistletoe and magically guided Hod’s aim towards Baldur.

When it hit him, Baldur died, the earth became dark and the gods became sure that Ragnarok, the end of the Cosmos was near. From then on, the number 13 became ominous and full of foreboding.

UMBRELLA

For centuries umbrellas were used solely for protection from the sun. It wasn’t until the 1700s that it seemed to occur to anyone that they could also protect from rain. Naturally superstitions gathered around them.

The most common of them was not to open one inside the house – something bad will come of it. Nor must it ever be laid on a bed or table.

And any woman yet unmarried who drops her umbrella must wait for someone else to pick it up. If she retrieves it, she will never wed.

TOUCHING WOOD

This mild demonstration of hope, that by “touching wood” any unfortunate effects resulting from whatever has been said or done might be nullified, has its origin in a centuries-old belief that guiding spirits lived inside trees.

Acknowledging the spirit’s presence by touching the wood meant that the spirit within would return the courtesy by ensuring only good would come of what you’d hoped for.

When as frequently happened, there was a lack of forest trees, touching any old piece of wood became an acceptable substitute.

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